What it is
Faunalytics is one of the most respected research groups in the animal protection movement, and the Lens is their AI chatbot: ask a plain-language question and it answers from their research library — more than 6,000 summaries of animal advocacy research, built up over 25 years — with citations to the underlying studies.
Unlike ChatGPT or Claude, the Lens does not search the open web. It draws only on the Faunalytics library, so every answer traces back to research a human at Faunalytics has already vetted.
What it is good at for advocacy orgs
- Grounding a campaign decision in evidence. Before you commit to a tactic, ask what’s been studied. “What research exists on institutions switching to plant-based options?” surfaces work you’d spend hours locating by hand.
- Writing with citations. Reports, grant applications, and briefings land better when the claims link to real studies.
Where it fits
Reach for the Lens when your question is about animal advocacy research specifically. For broad questions that need the open web — news coverage, policy landscapes, cost data — use deep research in a general-purpose tool instead. For peer-reviewed academic literature beyond the movement, tools like Elicit or Consensus are the better fit.
Watch-outs
- It only knows the movement’s research. If the library doesn’t cover your question, the Lens can’t either. Faunalytics are always looking to hear from animal advocates about what they should be adding to their research library, so we encourage you to get in contact with them if the library does not have what you’re looking for.
Getting started
- Go to faunalytics.org/lens.
- Ask it a question about your org’s central mission, or a campaign you’re working on right now.
- Open one of the cited studies and check it supports the answer.
- Paste the useful findings into the AI project or Gem for that campaign, so your everyday tool has them too.
Pricing snapshot
Free. The Lens was built by Faunalytics with support from Stray Dog Institute; if it becomes part of your workflow, consider supporting Faunalytics.
